Advice
by LaPaige
Summary: “Penny for your thoughts?” NateShane friendship.


**I don't think I've ever done a Shane and Nate friendship, so I wanted to give it a shot. Hope you guys like this! And yes, Nate is both Shane's brother and best friend. (:**

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_Caitlyn, you love Caitlyn. _No, you love Mitchie. _Caitlyn. _Mitchie. _Caitlyn. _Mitchie.

Shane groaned in frustration, punching the wall in front of him, which he instantly regretted. Letting out a cry of pain he jumped back, cradling his fist.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Shane was broken out of his trance by Nate. He tried to smile but the pain in his fist prevented him from doing anything but grimace.

"Hey, if you want me to leave just say!" Nate said it as a joke, seeing Shane's facial expression and thinking it was because of his sudden appearance.

"No, no, I'm just thinking." Shane replied hastily, not wanting to give his friend the wrong idea.

"Wow, don't hurt yourself." Nate joked, nudging his friend in the shoulder. It had been a while since they had talked about something other than music, and both the friends had missed that.

"Too late." Shane said, waving his (now red) fist.

Nate whistled under his breath. "Woah, Shane. What the hell did you do?"

Shane bowed his head as Nate examined his fist. "This is over a girl, isn't it?"

Shane opened his mouth to protest but Nate knew him to well. "How do you know?" He asked, not denying the fact.

"Well, when you were seven you asked Annabelle next door if she wanted to be your valentine and she said no so you punched your bedroom wall – then there was Samantha in middle school who laughed when you asked her on a date so you broke your leg when you kicked the brick wall at school – and now I'm assuming this is about another girl."

Shane looked up at Nate in shock – how had he remembered all these facts when Shane barely remembered them himself? He didn't voice this, however.

"Actually this time it's about girl_**s**_." Shane corrected, wincing.

"Oh no. Shane, what have you done this time?"

Shane didn't answer. He knew the mistakes he'd made, but was too embarrassed to explain everything.

"This is about Mitchie, isn't it?" Nate paused for a moment, his expression one of deep thought before finally saying "and ... Caitlyn." The name of Nate's other best friend (for Shane and Jason were also) tumbled from Nate's lips easily and Shane felt his insides twist at both names.

Shane simply nodded.

"Well, what happened?" Nate pushed.

"Well, when I broke up with Mitchie I sort of had a thing with Caitlyn." Shane paused, looking up at Nate. His best friend simply nodded, urging him to continue. "And then I really liked her but yesterday Mitchie came back to town and now ... now I don't know what to do." Shane admitted.

"Are you still going out with Caitlyn?" Nate asked, not one to judge quickly.

"No. We broke it off a few days ago." Shane replied.

"Why?"

"Because she knew Mitchie was coming back." Shane said softly.

"Well, do you still like Mitchie?" Nate asked.

"Nate, I love her."

"But you love Caitlyn too." Nate finished for him.

"Yes."

"Ah." Nate said, frowning.

"Well, I know Caitlyn." Nate started "and if she broke up with you over Mitchie I think she knows more about yourself then you do."

"What, you mean Caitlyn was right and I should go back to Mitchie?" Shane asked, confused.

Nate nodded. "Something like that."

"But I love them both." Shane said, not meaning to whine. He was just so damn _confused._

"Yeah, try telling them your new idea that you all date at the same time." Nate said sarcastically.

Shane sighed.

"But what if I get with Mitchie and regret it?"

"Then get back with Caitlyn." Nate said, shrugging.

"But it's not that simple, is it? Caitlyn will feel second best, maybe she won't even accept me."

"But if it doesn't work out with Mitchie there are other girls that aren't Caitlyn – you can't have everything."

"You really like Caitlyn, don't you?" Shane asked, smiling at his brother.

"She's like my sister, Shane. So please don't hurt her. And that doesn't mean you can hurt Mitchie either."

"I won't. I just have to figure out the right thing to do." Shane replied.

"The right thing and the easy thing are two different things." Nate added softly.

"Since when did you turn into mom?"

"Since you won't take mom's advice." Nate said with a smirk.

"What makes you think I'll take yours?"

"Because I've been through it too, you know."

And it was true – Nate had been through something similar with Peggy and Tess. Of course, it had been easier for him to chose because Tess had cheated on him with countless guys, but right now he was happy as Peggy's boyfriend. So maybe Shane would listen to him, even if it was only a little.

"Oh. Right."

"Well, I better go. Jason's probably opened a window for millions of birds to come into the studio or something." Nate said, hi fiving his brother before walking away, leaving Shane and his bright red fist behind him.

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**So you can make your own assumption to who Shane picks (: I had fun writing this, so I hope you enjoyed it!**


End file.
